Home electrical problem/mystery: I accidentally plugged the phone charger into an outlet incorrectly and now that outlet and the dishwasher don't work. Help? [more inside]
posted on Jun 27, 2008 - 10 answers

Need help putting 3 ceiling fans on a single fan control switch. [more inside]
posted on Jun 22, 2008 - 7 answers

RemodelingKitchenFilter: What do you wish you had done to your kitchen when you had the chance? [more inside]
posted on Jun 11, 2008 - 43 answers

I use a PDA (a Nokia N800) to listen to podcasts in my car. It downloads them overnight, which is wonderful. I keep it plugged into a cigarette-adapter charger, which it uses to detect the car being turned on or off (to automatically play or pause, so I don't have to fiddle with it). The problem is that the PDA's battery doesn't like the short charge cycles, and is now mostly dead. I have a plan to fix this, but it's ugly and I wanted to get more opinions... [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2008 - 8 answers

The side-by-side fridge in our rental (a GE tfx22zrs, tfx22jrs) has been failing to keep the refrigerator side cool (freezer side works fine). I think I have traced this down to some kind of lightbulb short -- the bulb heats up so much, so fast, I presume it is keeping the food from getting cool; possible fuse problem? Do fridges have user-serviceable fuses? Or is this a compressor problem and the lightbulb a red herring? [more inside]
posted on May 17, 2008 - 11 answers

What electrical misconfiguration would cause there to be enough current to give a mild shock when the screws going into a switch plate are touched -- yet not enough of a problem to pop the circuit breaker? [more inside]
posted on May 14, 2008 - 7 answers

My trusty Krups coffee excretor gave up the ghost, but would be easily repairable if ONLY I could find a source for the blown thermal fuse. Any idea where I could find one, AskMeFi? [more inside]
posted on Apr 17, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm an electrical engineering student/hobbyist looking to buy an oscilloscope. I'd like to spend around $200 ($300 max, probes/shipping included). What should I look for, and where? [more inside]
posted on Apr 16, 2008 - 10 answers

Is it a NEC violation to simply change a non-grounded, two-prong electrical outlet with a three-prong outlet? Is it bad enough to use as leverage in price negotiation of a house? [more inside]
posted on Apr 15, 2008 - 27 answers

My car stereo display went blank, and it's not the first time. Is my car striking my car stereos blind? [more inside]
posted on Apr 7, 2008 - 1 answers

How can I use the speakers in my TV as the "center" speaker on my receiver? [more inside]
posted on Apr 7, 2008 - 11 answers

I built this mini guitar amp based on this circuit. But I used a 4 watt speaker rather than the 8 watts specified. What are the consequences of that change? [more inside]
posted on Mar 17, 2008 - 8 answers

Basic Electronics Repair Filter: I recently purchased a used Korg ES-1 and after a few months the power started to randomly cut out... turns out the power pin on the mainboard has come loose. [more inside]
posted on Feb 27, 2008 - 5 answers

What might cause the running lights of a 1992/3 Subaru Legacy to all be out. I can't seem to locate a blown fuse. [more inside]
posted on Feb 23, 2008 - 4 answers

Where can I find this 40-some-year-old power cord? [more inside]
posted on Feb 16, 2008 - 7 answers

Why do some electrical appliances lack an on-off switch? [more inside]
posted on Feb 8, 2008 - 23 answers

Do electrical devices running on your car's electrical system affect gas mileage? [more inside]
posted on Feb 7, 2008 - 18 answers

What electrical event killed my wife's laptop and printer? We connected the printer to the laptop and...fireworks! [more inside]
posted on Jan 24, 2008 - 7 answers

British appliance, US power: can they find happiness together? [more inside]
posted on Dec 9, 2007 - 15 answers

Anyone know a simple and cheap solar panel setup to run a small boombox about 9-12V DC? [more inside]
posted on Dec 4, 2007 - 3 answers

Can you show me a photo beam sensor or a magnetic sensor that is close to the size of my pinky? [more inside]
posted on Dec 3, 2007 - 8 answers

Have I fried my car stereo? Exposed wires crossed, and then no more music... [more inside]
posted on Nov 22, 2007 - 8 answers

Any electricians out there? How can a household circuit *halfway* stop working? I am confused. Details inside. [more inside]
posted on Oct 26, 2007 - 13 answers

I'm going to embark on a stompbox-building adventure, and I'd like to know how much one can mess things up. [more inside]
posted on Oct 21, 2007 - 13 answers

I'm looking for an unusual AC wall outlet. [more inside]
posted on Oct 15, 2007 - 8 answers

Can I use my hairdryer even though it got wet? [more inside]
posted on Oct 9, 2007 - 5 answers

How do I splice a laptop power cable? [more inside]
posted on Sep 13, 2007 - 9 answers

2 outlets & a ceiling light stopped working at the same time. None of the circuit breakers were flipped. What would cause this, and how can I troubleshoot it? [more inside]
posted on Aug 30, 2007 - 15 answers

I need to add grounding to an outlet. How bad an idea is it to chain the ground to the ground of another outlet that is on a different circuit a few feet up from that one? [more inside]
posted on Jul 24, 2007 - 12 answers

I need some pointers on making a light box. Now, before you point toward some other posts about either an all-white surround for photography or a means of defeating winter-time depression, I should point out that I'm needing to make a light box for theatre ... [more inside]
posted on Jul 16, 2007 - 8 answers

What is this strange object attached to my basement floor? [more inside]
posted on Jul 1, 2007 - 23 answers

In-window air conditioner switch issue...I can't figure out how to google this, so I'm hoping someone here can understand my question! [more inside]
posted on Jun 4, 2007 - 5 answers

Calling electricians: can I use one of those "battery chargers" they sell at Auto Zone to power a small appliance that needs 12V? [more inside]
posted on May 26, 2007 - 13 answers

Back-to-school-filter: I'd like return to school to pursue training in broadcast engineering. Are there any programs you recommend? (Bonus if they're in Chicago-ish). Or should I just look into getting a general electrical engineering degree? [more inside]
posted on May 24, 2007 - 7 answers

Sideways electrical outlets -- is there a gadget to plug in with vertical outlets? [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2007 - 8 answers

Help me find a cheeping bird toy [more inside]
posted on May 4, 2007 - 7 answers

Can anyone with classic car restoration experience help me with a strange electrical problem that I'm having with a 1961 Lincoln Continental? [more inside]
posted on Mar 19, 2007 - 7 answers

What is an electrical outlet cover than mounts the plugs at a right angle to a surface called? [more inside]
posted on Feb 15, 2007 - 6 answers

I've pulled an RF modulator out of an old VCR, but I don't know what some of the pins are for on the unit. Help me wire it up to modulate a composite video signal. [more inside]
posted on Feb 12, 2007 - 12 answers

What's the name of the condition for people who for some reason are highly susceptible to passing on electrical current to things like computers and other electronics, leading to strange problems with said devices? [more inside]
posted on Jan 19, 2007 - 41 answers

One residential electrical junction box with wires coming into it from two different circuit breakers, is this to code or completely whack? [more inside]
posted on Jan 8, 2007 - 8 answers

How can I wire a bunch of push lights together and run them off of regular power? [more inside]
posted on Dec 27, 2006 - 11 answers

I got into a debate the other day with my boss, who is absolutely anal-retentive about everything power related (to the point where he scolds me for leaving fluorescent lights turned on if I'm not using the room). [more inside]
posted on Nov 11, 2006 - 17 answers

What are the characteristics and drawbacks of 208Y power? Specifically will it run my industrial sewing machines that want 220v? [more inside]
posted on Nov 1, 2006 - 10 answers

AmbianceFilter: How can I control a wall socket with a wall-mounted switch or remote or something convenient without rewiring anything? [more inside]
posted on Oct 30, 2006 - 10 answers

I have a single switch light plate in the bathroom that controls the lights and fan at the same time; one flip of the switch turns both on and off at the same time. You can't control them independently. I'd like to be able to. How? [more inside]
posted on Oct 13, 2006 - 10 answers

CircuitBreakerFilter: Im trying to find out if my circuit breaker panel was ever recalled, its a Federal Pacific w/ Catalog #1306-12. It also has another # which is Y22455Y-1
posted on Oct 9, 2006 - 3 answers

I know, I know, light bulbs seem to fail in clusters, but I don't think this is to do with putting a bunch of lights in at the same time. This week for instance, I got up and turned on my kitchen lights (8 x 50w small spots) and one blew and tripped my Ground Floor Light fuse. A day later and I get home and turn on the same lights, another goes and trips the lights circuit again. Later in the week, another goes in my study. I replaced all the bulbs today. I turn them on, everything is fine, I go outside and turn on the porch/side lights (3 x 60w) and two of them blow. I nearly always have an inop light or two. My question is this : Is there an electrical fault which might explain this pattern of failure ? Thanks
posted on Oct 7, 2006 - 11 answers

If i want to install electrical appliances, drawing upto 6kw, in a van how do i go about this? [more inside]
posted on Aug 23, 2006 - 10 answers

Is it really so bad to plug an air conditioner into a 2-prong outlet with an adapter? [more inside]
posted on Jul 30, 2006 - 30 answers